Vocapedia
Log inTry for Free
Log in

Looking up...

Words

  • Words of the Year
  • Recent Lookups
  • My Dictionary

Languages

  • English
  • Vietnamese
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German

Features

  • Words of the Year
  • My Collections List
  • Reviews
  • Learning Resources
  • Community Collections

Learn

  • How It Works
  • Study Guides
  • Language Tips
  • FAQ
  • Getting Started
  • For Individuals
  • For Teachers

Community

  • Forum
  • Blog
  • Help Center
  • Partnerships

About

  • About Vocapedia
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback

Legal

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
  • GDPR Compliance
© 2026 Vocapedia. All rights reserved.

insecure

/ˌɪn.sɪˈkjʊr/
adjective★Intermediate— lacking confidence or self-assurance
informal

Lacking confidence or self-assurance; feeling uncertain or anxious about oneself.

He was insecure about his job performance and feared criticism.

He lacked confidence in his work and worried about being judged.

Social media can make people feel insecure about their lives.

Social media often causes people to doubt their self-worth.

💡

Often used to describe emotional vulnerability or self-doubt.

💻Technology
technical

Not secure; vulnerable to attack or breach.

The website was insecure because it lacked encryption.

The website was vulnerable to hacking due to missing security measures.

💡

Used in cybersecurity to describe systems lacking protection.

Collocations

feel insecureto lack confidenceinsecure attachmenta psychological term for unstable emotional bondsinsecure systema vulnerable or unprotected system

Synonyms

uncertainanxiousself-consciousvulnerable

Antonyms

confidentsecureassuredcertain

Related Phrases

insecure attachmentphrase
a psychological term for unstable emotional bonds
insecure systemphrase
a vulnerable or unprotected system

💡Pro Tip

Emotional vs. Technical Use

Be mindful of context—'insecure' can describe feelings or technical vulnerabilities.

⚡Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

Using 'insecure' too often can dilute its impact. Use specific synonyms when possible.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'securus' (safe, secure). First recorded in the 16th century.

📝Usage Notes

Commonly used to describe emotional states, but also in technical contexts like cybersecurity.

Word Breakdown

in-
not
prefix
+
secure
safe, confident
root
English Dictionary

Learning Progress

Track your learning journey!

• Save words to build your vocabulary

• Monitor your daily streak

• Get personalized review reminders

• See words learned statistics

Log in to access advanced features and track your progress!

Go to Dashboard →

Recent Lookups

The most recent words being looked up. Stay up to date with what language learners are exploring.